Next week Amtrak will start a new bus shuttle service in Eastern North Carolina providing New Bern with a connection to national rail service.

On Oct. 2, an inaugural bus trip from MoreheadCity to the Amtrak train station in Wilson, with stops in Havelock, New Bern, and Greenville, will be provided for city officials. A short ceremony will be at 11:25 a.m. in front of New BernRiverfrontConvention Center.

The MoreheadCity to Wilson shuttle is one of two routes Amtrak is starting in Eastern North Carolina starting Oct. 3. Another route will serve Goldsboro, Kinston, Jacksonville and Wilmington. Both routes will connect with the Amtrak Palmetto train service at the station in Wilson.

Joe Boardman, Amtrak president and CEO, said in a statement that the shuttle service will provide more options for travelers.

“The new Thruway bus services are an important connection that will bring Amtrak passengers to Eastern North Carolina communities and provide expanded transportation options for the people in the region,” he said.

The Palmetto operates twice daily serving 20 stations between New York and Savannah, Ga. and also provides access to the Amtrak national network serving more than 500 stations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces.

The Amtrak Thruway service will use intercity motor-coach vehicles, and provide coordinated train and bus connections. It will also provide service to colleges and universities, major military installations, and a number of cities and communities that have limited intercity public transportation options.

New Bern Alderman Sabrina Bengel said the shuttle service will be a big benefit for the area. Bengel, along with the mayor and city manager met with Amtrak representatives in the spring to discuss a bus stop in New Bern.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “It’s another step in getting Eastern North Carolina up and going. Now people will have a way to use the train service without having to drive to Wilson. Maybe there are some people who don’t have the transportation to get to Wilson. So I’m really pleased we will have the opportunity for them to use this service.”

Bengel could not say if there will ever be Amtrak trains stopping in New Bern some day. But the shuttle service will give Amtrak a record of how many people in New Bern are interested in train travel, she said.

The bus schedule released by Amtrak shows a daily departure time from MoreheadCity at 10:10 a.m.; arriving in Havelock at 10:49 a.m.; New Bern, 11:24 a.m.; Greenville, 12:32 p.m.; and Wilson, 1:27 p.m.

Departure from Wilson is 2:45 p.m.; arriving in Greenville at 3:47 p.m.; New Bern4:56 p.m.; Havelock5:26 p.m.; and MoreheadCity, 5:57 p.m. Prices for the bus service have not yet been announced.

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.